Bohemians 1
Dundalk 1
Darryl Geraghty reports from Dalymount Park
BOHEMIANS AND DUNDALK were forced into a share of the spoils at a boisterous Dalymount Park as a 91st minute Georgie Kelly spot-kick rescued a point for The Gypsies, cancelling out Sami Ben Amar’s first half opener.
The in-form Lilywhites, fresh from an impressive battling performance against Champions elect Shamrock Rovers, looked to dominate the opening proceedings and had the first shot in anger. Conor Levingston was dispossessed by the Derry City bound Michael Duffy, who played a sharp one-two with Patrick Hoban, and shot straight at James Talbot.
But having had a near two-week break since their last outing, a win on the road against Longford Town, the much rested Gypsies reacted well and pressed Dundalk high up forcing the visitors to go long to Hoban and Duffy on the break.
The Gypsies, who opted to leave three of the big hitters on the bench with skipper Keith Buckley, Ali Coote and Ciaran Kelly with an eye on Monday’s massive Dublin derby, had the home fans on their feet when Andy Lyon’s strike was looped in the air from Andy Boyle’s deflection but the ball narrowly missed the target.
From the resulting corner, current player of the month Georgie Kelly missed the target with a free header at the back post.
But it was the visitors who broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when Tyreke Wilson’s tame header back to his keeper didn’t quite have the legs to make it. Out raced Talbot, who collided heavily with Hoban, and the ball fell kindly for Sami Ben Amar who calmly lobbed the ball over the recovering defenders for his first league goal of the season.
The hosts had a couple of good openings to equalise, first when Irish U21 international Ross Tierney burst into the box to round Peter Cherrie but could only dink his cross from the endline towards Georgie Kelly, with the chance eventually smothered.
Tyreke Wilson went close from the same spot he scored up at Oriel park in the reverse fixture at the end of September but blazed over on this occasion.
The visitors were dealt a blow when talismanic striker Hoban was forced off just before the break, maybe still feeling the effects from his clash with Talbot, with David McMillan taking his place.
The home side started the second half like a house on fire but failed to make their youthful exuberance really pay in the final third and it was the more assured visitors who had the clearer chances.
Having been teed up cleverly by McMillan, and with the goal at his mercy, Sean Murray just took a slightly heavy touch that allowed Talbot to force the midfielder to hurry his shot and chip over.
At the other end, Promise Omochere, making his first start in the league, forced Cherrie into one of the saves of the season, tipping his powerful left footed strike just around the post as it looked destined for the top corner.
As Bohs chased the elusive equaliser, they began to leave spaces in the midfield, and the visitors really should have doubled their lead midway through the second half. With the whole midfield to himself, the classy Will Patching let rip with a thunderous effort from 25 yards that proved too hot to handle for Bohs stopper Talbot, and as the ball fell to McMillan on the volley couldn’t keep his strike down.
Keith Long, in a bid to freshen up the attack, made a triple substitution that almost paid dividends straight away. Teen sensation Jamie Mullins, operating from the left, did well, getting to the endline and cutting back to Kelly who could only hit a tame effort straight at Cherrie.
The hosts were in the ascendancy at this point. Wave after wave of pressure finally told in the 91st minute when somewhat controversially, Bohs were handed a penalty for a clumsy challenge by Dan Cleary on Ali Coote. Up stepped Georgie Kelly who hit his penalty low. It eventually trickled in off the feet of Cherrie.
The home fans didn’t mind how it went in as Phibsboro erupted in jubilation.
The Gypsies will have to lift themselves again with that massive Dublin Derby away in Tallaght on Monday before a potential season-defining FAI Cup semi-final at home to Waterford FC.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the draw Dundalk face a mouthwatering trip to Inchicore to face second-in-the-table St Patrick’s Athletic for a chance of a big day out at The Aviva Stadium.
Bohemian FC: James Talbot, Andy Lyons, Rob Cornwall (c) , Anto Breslin, Tyreke Wilson, Conor Levingston (Keith Buckley, 73’), Dawson Devoy (Keith Ward, 81’), Promise Omochere (Jamie Mullins, 73’), Liam Burt (Roland Idowu, 73’), Ross Tierney (Ali Coote, 61’), Georgie Kelly.
Dundalk FC: Peter Cherrie, Andy Boyle (c) , Michael Duffy, Sam Stanton, Patrick Hoban (David McMillan, 45+1), Greg Sloggett, Darragh Leahy, Sean Murray, Sami Ben Amar (Daniel Kelly, 68’), Will Patching (Mayowa Animasahan, 83’), Daniel Cleary
Referee: Damien MacGraith.